Contract Negotiations Virtual Conference 2013

"Negotiation" is a communication process where two parties attempt to reach agreement. Negotiation does not need to be a process where one party "wins" at the other's expense. It is possible and preferable that both parties finish negotiations feeling that they have "won." Despite the fact that both parties have different interests, they have a common goal: to negotiate a fair and reasonable contract ~ Contract Management Body of Knowledge, Fourth Edition

About the Conference:

Do you want to lead a more successful contract negotiation? Do you want to learn more about the use of tradeoffs and win-win strategies to meet the goals of your negotiation? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you'll want to attend this online event. In this virtual learning session, you will learn the fundamentals and practical skills needed to be a successful negotiator. You will also better understand the key motivations of both sides while leveraging the use of win-win principles to reach success at the negotiation table.

Whether you're new to the field of contract management or an experienced professional, use this virtual conference to enhance your ability at the negotiation table. Moreover, use this opportunity to increase your organization bottom-line or agency's ability to achieve results through the negotiation process. Join us online on October 10, 2013, and learn from professionals who have extensive experience in the negotiation process at all levels.

Over the course of four hours, expert professionals from both industry and government will provide you with the information and knowledge you need to achieve success in negotiations. Don't miss this opportunity to build the strategies and solutions you need to help you achieve the results you want during the negotiation process.

Key Takeaways:

Competitive Negotiations and Discussions: Learn some of the best and most practical practices in the business when it comes to the most effective strategies in negotiations and competitive discussions. Discern the key differences and ways to better communicate the pricing issues that impact your objectives and how to find opportunities to find leverage to create realistic expectations. Learn the key strategies that support the following:

Finding the best solution through multiple vendor profiles and qualifications;

Maximizing the strengths and benefits through collaboration and discussion;

Understanding the benefits of win-win strategies; and

Leveraging strategies to achieve long-term results and opportunities.

Negotiation Preparation: Understand the most important aspect of negotiations: the "how" and "why" of preparations. Get tips and practical advice on preparing for anything from long, drawn-out sessions to the briefest of meetings and phone discussions.

When and how does preparation start;

Research, research, and more research;

The "who," "what," "where," "when," and "how" of preparation;

Organizing your team, roles, and responsibilities;

Becoming the subject matter expert;

Knowing your negotiation "partner;" and

Practice, practice, practice for the unexpected

Negotiation Tactics & Strategies: Be empowered as you learn tactics and strategies during federal and commercial contract negotiations from both the seller and the buyer perspectives.

The "Expanding the Pie" negotiation tactic: recognizing alternatives and their effect on price

Conducting a Negotiation: Learn the most effective way to conduct the negotiation. As there are many ways and approaches to conduct a negotiation, hear practical ways to develop winning techniques and strategies. Learn the importance of:

Building a unified team, roles, and responsibilities;

Bargaining and focusing on the most important issues and potential tradeoffs;

How to identify key areas of weakness on both sides and ways to find common ground;

Understanding the burden of proof in position justification for both sides;

Finding ways to resolve disputes;

Reaching agreement on the most important issues before tackling the less important ones;

Being prepared to explore alternatives in the event of disagreement; and

Keith Dill, FellowVice President, Contracts and Procurement, Project Performance Company, LLCKeith Dill has over 30 years of experience in acquisition and logistics Management. He has extensive experience in both the public and private sector encompassing financial management and control; budget planning, preparation, and execution; cost and pricing preparation; evaluation, and negotiations; strategic alliance; joint ventures; and risk management compliance. He recently joined Project Performance Company, LLC as vice president, contracts and procurement where he is responsible for negotiations with federal, state and local, and commercial clients. He previously served concurrently as vice president of policy, compliance, and intellectual property at Novetta Solutions, and vice president of contracts and procurement for White Oak Technologies (a Novetta Solutions Company). Dill is a former U.S. Army contracting officer (unlimited warrant) and a retired member of the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps (Reserve Component). He earned his BA in History from Western Maryland College and completed his MBA in Contracting at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Andrew Obermeyer, CPCM, FellowDirector, Business Operations Center, Defense Contract Management AgencyAndrew Obermeyer became the Director of DCMA's Business Operations Center on August 12, 2013. Obermeyer joined DCMA on February 27, 2013 as the director of the Contracts Planning and Performance Assessment Division, DCMA-AQA. In that position he was responsible for the career development and training for DCMA's contracting and property management workforce. Obermeyer is a retired contracting officer with the United States Air Force, with over twenty years of experience. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgia State University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Dayton, as well as a master's of national security strategies degree from ICAF. In 2007, he was elected to the NCMA Board of Directors for a three year term. He chaired the NCMA Governance Committee from 2008–2010. Obermeyer has been presented with NCMA's second highest award, the Charles A. Dana Distinguished Service Award, at the 2012 World Congress.

Olessia Smotrova-Taylor, AF, APMPPresident & CEO, OST Global Solutions, Inc.Olessia Smotrova-Taylor, AF.APMP, leads OST Global Solutions (www.ostglobalsolutions.com), a company specialized in acquisition support, business development, capture, and proposal consulting and training. She is the President of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) National Capital Area chapter, and is an APMP Fellow, an honor bestowed on less than 80 business developers worldwide. She regularly presents at conferences and other events, and develops and teaches OST’s Bid & Proposal Academy courses on capture, business development, proposal management, proposal writing, pricing, orals, and other topics. She has written seven professional reference books, and has recently published “How to Get Government Contracts: Have a Slice of a $1 Trillion Pie,” available on Amazon. She led winning bids for four out of five top government contractors, winning more than $19 billion over the course of her career. Prior to OST, she won business for Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, and wrote for the Financial Times of London.

Allie Stanzione, CPCM, CFCM, FellowContracts Team Lead, MIT Lincoln LaboratoryAllie Stanzione is an operational contracts team leader at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (FFRDC). Throughout her career, Stanzione served in numerous contracting positions in commercial, international, federal, state, and local government contracts field. Stanzione is a graduate of NCMA's distinguished Contract Management Leadership Development Program, and holds a CFCM, a CPCM, and a Contracts Fellow designation. Stanzione currently serves on the NCMA Board of Directors. She authored several articles which were featured in the Contract Management Magazine and the Journal of Contract Management. She is a winner of the NCMA James E. Cravens Membership Award and a recipient of the Honorable Mention in the Sixth Annual Macfarlan Excellence in Contract Management Research and Writing Program. She holds an MBA from New York Institute of Technology.